


Into the Night

by Golden_chalk



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst and Feels, F/F, Fantasy, Homophobia, Human Catra (She-Ra), Kissing, Knights - Freeform, Lesbian Catra (She-Ra), Lesbian Disaster Adora (She-Ra), Light Angst, Oblivious Adora (She-Ra), Pining, Pining Catra (She-Ra), Princess Catra (She-Ra), Swordfighting, lesbians with swords, slight homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:33:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24860881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Golden_chalk/pseuds/Golden_chalk
Summary: After being proposed too, Catra decides to escape her life as a princess. She tries to run away with Adora, but the knight has mixed feelings about the situation.
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 142





	Into the Night

Catra threw the dress she was wearing only an hour prior over her balcony. The puffy red dress flew down the castle walls, getting caught in the arms of brambles that sat below her. She smiled as the dress got ripped apart by the swaying branches, she always hated that thing. She stepped away from the balcony, throwing her black cloak around herself, and checking the small bag she packed.

She had her dagger, her golden coins, the food she stole from the kitchen, and a blanket. She also had a shortsword hanging on her hip, which she stole from the knights' barracks. She took a deep breath as she realized there was only one thing left to do. '

She went to the drawer of her desk and pulled out the letter she wrote to her parents, and the ring she had been given earlier that night. It shined against her copper skin, and even Catra had to admit it was beautiful, but the meaning behind it left it damaged in Catra's eyes.

She placed the letter and ring on her nightstand. She then lifted the hood of her cloak over her brown curls and tried to slowly open her bedroom door. It creaked and groaned as if begging her to stay, but Catra didn't have time to listen to its pleas.

Once she saw that the hallway outside her room was empty, she slipped out. She quietly walked through the hallways as she made her way towards the east garden. She would only have to climb over the hedge wall, and then she could make her break for the woods. She was only a couple hallways away before she would be home free. She was about to walk from behind a corner when she heard voices echoing from down the hallway.

Her head whirled around as she tried to find a hiding spot, she located a large vase and hunched behind it as some noblewomen chatted about their night. 

"Can you believe Prince Florian proposed to the Princess? How romantic," Said a lady that had an obnoxiously high voice.

"Oh please, Beatrice, you know it is just a political marriage. There is nothing romantic about it, in fact, I heard a rumor that Princess Catra only flirts with the female guards," said another woman who seemed to have a calmer demeanor compared to her counterpart.

"Oh, Catra would never; those are just rumors by jealous suitors,"

"Did she have any other suitors? Not many men try to go for such a high strung lady," The woman mumbled not so the other woman wouldn't hear, but so she showed her displeasure with Catra. 

Catra had to bite her lip as the woman continued to walk down the hallway, their heels clicking on the tile before turning another corner. The tan princess emerged from her hiding spot and made her way to the large glass doors that lead to the garden. She knew she couldn't sneak her way around the two guards that watched over the door, so she planned to sweet-talk her way out of it.

She walked confidently towards the towering doors and saw as the two guards exchanged looks at each other. They stopped her before she could even let her hand touch the handle. She couldn't stop a grimace from forming onto her face; her freedom was so close, yet so far. 

"Princess, why are you out so late?" The older guard asked, voice raspy from his years of barking orders.

"I had an exciting day," Catra tried her best to put on her princess voice, soft, sweet, and innocent, "I just need a walk to clear my head."

"Then you need a guard with you," The older man said, "You know the rules."

"I can be your watcher, Princess," The younger guard piped up and jumped into the conversation. Catra could tell he was new. The way he held himself and the way he talked, Catra had seen enough guards come through the palace, and this one reeked of fresh meat.

"I don't need a watcher," Catra protested, "I am not five."

"Even your parents have watchers in the gardens," The older guard told this to her. He wasn't going to get in trouble with the King if he found out that they let their daughter roam the garden alone.

Catra had to think for a minute, but finally, an idea came into her mind, "Bring me, Adora, she said she was on a night shift today, so I want her to be my watcher,"

Adora had been Catra's best friend since they were teenagers. She meet her when she snuck into the knights' barracks so she could practice sword fighting. Adora had just joined the guard and didn't recognize the Princess. They struck up a conversation, and before Catra knew it, she assigned Adora as her personal guard. She would join her for any trips outside the castle and would be posted outside her room on occasions where the extra protection felt necessary. 

Yet Adora was more than a personal guard. She made Catra's eyes light up when she saw her, and she often took the royal's breath away.

If anyone could understand her situation, it would be Adora.

The older guard thought for a moment about the request before motioning to the younger guard to go grab Adora. The young knight nodded and ran to go find his colleague.

That left Catra with the older guard, standing there in silence. He then began to try small talking with the princess, which almost made Catra run herself through the glass door.

"Congratulations on the proposal," The man took a short pause, just enough time to see if Catra would respond, " Prince Florian is a lucky man,"

Catra scoffed, "Ya, he sure is," She then covered her mouth when she realized that those words had slipped from her lips. She was expecting him to be shocked by her sass, but instead, he just laughed.

"Never lose that spunk, Princess," He gave her a smile and Catra gave him a smile back. She thought about how her parents would have scolded her or worse for that comment, but this guard seemed to enjoy her slight attitude.

Catra was thinking of something to say when Adora came from around the corner. She seemed confused as to why Catra needed her at this time of night, but Catra signaled with her eyes that it was a conversation for later.

The men that guarded the glass entrances opened them up and revealed the lush garden that bloomed with flowers. The scent of the roses and orchids hit Catra's nose when the cold night air touched her skin. Catra couldn't say that she would miss the headache-inducing smell that the garden made. Seriously, who thought putting all these flowers in one place would be a good idea?

Once they were out of the other guards' sight, Catra grabbed Adora's hand and dragged her towards the hedge wall that separated the garden from the woods. 

"Catra, what's wrong?" Adora knew what was wrong, but she also knew that Catra needed someone to ask her that question. The Princess was a complex character; who didn't always make sense, but Adora always seemed to read the woman perfectly.

"I can't go through with this marriage," Catra said as her voice went soft, "I'm running away, and I want you to come with me."

Adora was shocked when Catra said this. She knew that the Princess didn't want to go through with the marriage, but the idea of her running away had never crossed her mind. She looked into the mismatched eyes of the tan girl and saw how truly scared Catra was.

She couldn't help her though, she made an oath, she couldn't just leave the guard, "Catra, I can't run away with you. It goes against everything I was taught. It goes against everything the guard stands for."

"But what about what you stand for? I know you want to come with me, please, Adora." Catra grabbed the Knight's hand and lightly pulled her closer to the wall, silently begging her to come with her. 

"It doesn't matter what I think, Catra. I made an oath," She yanked her hand away. She tried to think of ways to convince the headstrong princess not to do this.

The scared look in Catra's eyes transformed into anger and fire, "Fine, I will just go by myself."

Adora shook her head, "I can't just let you run away, Catra."

Catra ignored the blonde woman and went to start climbing the garden wall. She felt the shrubbery softly prick at her skin. Then she heard the sound of a metal sword unsheathing. Catra looked over to see Adora pointing her rapier at her. 

"Please Catra, just let me take you back to your room," She had a death grip on her decorated hilt, her hand shaking slightly as she pointed the tip of her weapon at the princess.

Catra looked Adora up and down, she felt betrayal well up in her throat. She slowly let go of the garden wall and the unsheathed her own sword.

Each blade shined in rays of moonlight. The two women looked at each other, both not wanting to make the first move. They were in a standoff, scared to make a strike. It wasn't that they were frightened of getting hurt, but it was the fear of cutting their opponent, neither wanted to put a scratch on the woman across from them.

"Catra, just let me take you home," Adora let all her wanting show. Her voice seemed as if it would break from the amount of weight she put into her words. 

The garden was silent as Catra thought about the offer. She looked at Adora's stance, she could tell it was the stance of someone who didn't want to fight. Yet, she knew it was inevitable, " This isn't my home anymore."

Catra leaped forward and let her sword clash against the Knight's. She stumbled back with surprise when the other woman pounced at her and initiated the battle.

Catra went to strike Adora in the arm, but the well-trained woman blocked the incoming weapon. She pushed Catra's sword away from her and decided to play on the defensive for now.

"You don't have to do this!" Adora said as she readied herself for another strike. Her stance was now more firm to the ground with her heels digging into the soft garden dirt. She watched Catra's hands as the woman went for her legs in the next swing of her sword.

"But I do! I really thought you would see why I have to do this," Catra felt the disappointment creep through her voice. She ignored that feeling in the back of her throat, as her most recent blow had just been blocked by Adora. The swords clashed together. Catra tried to push the blade towards Adora, but the woman had more experience to her and easily push her sword away.

Catra realized that she wasn't going to win in proper sword to sword combat. She looked at the knight's stance and thought about how to properly execute her next move. She pretended to go for a swing of her sword, which Adora obviously fell for, before ducking down and knocking her adversary off her feet.

Catra raised her sword to hit the fallen warrior, but Adora thought quick and had already prepared her sword to block Catra's attack. Their swords pushed against each other as metal screeched against metal. 

Adora felt her sword get dangerously close to her, but her compromising position made it hard for her to properly push back. Soon the edge of the blade grazed Adora's chest, and the two women were only inches away from each other's faces. 

Catra could hear the tired breath of her personal knight, and she could swear that she could hear her pounding heartbeat, or maybe that was her own? She looked into the desperate eyes of the blonde woman and decided she would make Adora understand.

"I thought you knew. I want to run away with you Adora," The woman said, all while making sure her grip on her sword stayed tight, "I can't stay here because it means I will never be with you,"

"Catra, this marriage doesn't mean I can't stay your personal guard-" Adora was cut off as the Princess continued.

"No, you idiot!" Tears were dripping from Catra's eyes now, and onto Adora's face, "If I marry him that means I can never truly BE with you... not in the way I want to,"

Catra searched Adora's eyes and got nothing but confusion. The tan woman, at this point, had given up on reason. She leaned down and closed the small gap between their lips. She felt Adora sink into the kiss, and both women abandoned their grips on their swords.

She left the short kiss with labored breath. Fear coursing through her veins as feelings that had been dormant for years were finally awaking. She knew that it was wrong, on so many levels, what she just did, but she didn't care. She scanned Adora one more time, seeing what the knight's reaction was.

All Adora could do was touch her lip as she looked at Catra. All her thoughts seem to crescendo in her mind, as she realized what Catra had truly meant earlier. All those times Catra snuck her into her bedroom so they could talk for hours, all those times Catra seemed to get jealous when a male guard made a pass at Adora, all those times she and Catra looked for a second too long into each other's eyes, and all those times Catra talked about not needing anyone but each other. It all clicked into Adora's mind.

She really should have seen why the Princess had to do this.

"Catra..." Adora slowly put her sword to the ground as she began to speak, " I want to come with you..."

"But you won't," Catra said with tears running down her face. She let her sword fall into the soft ground by her feet. Her mouth felt bittersweet as she realized Adora wanted to be with her but wasn't willing to choose her.

"I made an oath," Adora rose up from the ground and took Catra's hand in hers. She brought the other woman close and finished her talking to her in a whispered voice, "I can't break it. No matter how tempted I might be too. I promised to protect the King and Queen. I promised I would do anything for the good of the Kingdom of Kremore. Me going with you goes against all of that..."

Catra looked away from Adora. She was so desperate to be with Adora that, for a moment, she thought about staying. She saw a life where she snuck secret kisses with her and how they would plan covert rendezvous. Her heart yearned to be with Adora in any way, shape, or form, but her mind set her straight. She knew that she needed to leave because she could never truly be happy here.

"Are you still going to stop me?" Catra asked.

"No," Adora felt a need to justify her actions, not to Catra, but to herself, "Consider it an act of protection. I'm protecting you from a life of misery. Also, I am protecting Prince Florian from what would have been a very passive-aggressive marriage,"

The two women gave a small laugh. It seemed to break the tense situation, and change it into a proper goodbye. They looked at each other for a few moments, taking in how the other looked, trying to engrave it into their memories.

"I will see you again," Catra said as she sheathed her sword. 

"I know you will," Adora said, "You always find a way."

Catra started to climb the garden wall. She felt the soft prick of the shrubbery as she made her way higher and higher. Once she made it to the top, she looked back down to the woman who's taste was still fresh on her lips, "Goodbye, Adora."  
  
Then she was gone. She made it to the other side of the fence and ran away into the inky black night. Adora was left to look at the empty garden for what felt like forever. She knew that she would eventually have to let the other guards know that Catra ran away.

But for now, she would give her a head start.

**Author's Note:**

> Lesbians with swords! I really like this fic and may expand on it later, it will probably depend on the feedback. I hope you like this fic as well, and if you did feel free to drop a kudos or review because those really make my day.


End file.
